This description relates generally to medical devices, such as medical devices for contraception and/or sterilization or occlusion, or other types of treatments, of body lumens for other medical purposes. Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to intrafallopian contraceptive implants or insert devices and non-surgical methods for the delivery of such devices.
Many of the presently available contraception methods require significant user involvement, and user non-compliance results in high rates of failure. While the theoretical effectiveness of existing contraceptives, including barrier methods and hormonal therapies, is well established, overcoming user non-compliance to improve overall efficacy has proven difficult. Thus, it is often desirable to seek a method of permanent sterilization. Traditional methods for permanent sterilization include fallopian tube ligation and vasectomy. These methods are invasive, surgical procedures which are undesirable to some people and not available to many people in the world.
One alternative to conventional contraceptive methods is to transcervically introduce an object (e.g. a coil) into a fallopian tube to inhibit conception. Devices, systems and methods for such a contraceptive approach have been described in various patents and patent applications assigned to the present assignee. For example, PCT Patent Application No. 99/15116 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,979 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,361 describe devices which are transcervically inserted into an ostium of a fallopian tube and mechanically anchored within the fallopian tube. The devices described in these patents and patent applications may promote a tissue ingrowth around and within the inserted device, which may be referred to as an implant or an insert. One example of such devices is the device known as “Essure” from Conceptus, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. This tissue ingrowth tends to provide long term contraception and/or permanent sterilization without the need for surgical procedures. Another device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,917.